Following the procedures described in each investigation will make for a very safe experience with environmental biology in the classroom. You should also review your district safety guidelines and make sure that everything you do is consistent with those guidelines.

Look for the safety-note icon in the Getting Ready section, which will alert you to safety concerns throughout the module.

Materials Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for materials used in the FOSS program can be found on the Delta Education website. http://www.delta-education.com/msds.shtml. If you have questions regarding any MSDS, call Delta Education toll free at 800-258-1302 (Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST).

General classroom safety rules to share with
students include

1. Listen carefully to all instructions. Follow all directions. Ask questions if you don’t know what to do.

2. Tell your teacher if you have any allergies.

3. Never put any materials in your mouth. Do not taste anything unless your teacher tells you to.

4. Never smell any unknown material. If your teacher asks you to smell a material, wave your hand over the material to draw the smell toward your nose.

5. Do not touch your face, mouth, ears, nose, or eyes while working with chemicals, plants, or animals.

6. Always protect your eyes. Wear safety goggles when necessary. Tell your teacher if you wear contact lenses.

7. Always wash your hands with soap and water after working with chemicals, plants, or animals.

8. Never mix any chemicals unless your teacher tells you to do so.

9. Report all spills and accidents to your teacher.

10. Treat animals with respect, caution, and consideration.

11. Clean up your work space after each investigation.

12. Act responsibly during science investigations.

These rules are provided for your class on the FOSS Safety Poster and are in the Science Resources book for each student.

TEACHER SAFETY RULES FOR USE OF CHEMICALS

You should:

• Read the label(s) on the chemical container(s) before using any chemical.

• Store chemicals in a separate location from the kit. Be sure that students do not have access to chemicals until you are supervising an investigation that requires the use of chemicals.

• Before conducting an investigation that requires student use of chemicals, remind students to follow your instructions and to use caution when handling chemicals.

• Properly dispose of chemicals after an investigation.